Accenture CEO Julie Sweet said that when it comes to hiring, she looks for candidates who are interested in learning new things.
Halil Sagirkaya/Anadolu via Getty Images
Accenture CEO Julie Sweet said she looks for candidates who love to learn new things.
Sweet said in a podcast interview that she would ask people what they have learned recently.
The former lawyer said it didn't matter even if people just said they learned how to bake a cake.
Accenture CEO Julie Sweet said there's one key question she poses to people who want to work for her.
"There's one question that we ask everyone, regardless of you're a consultant or you're working in technology or whatever you do," Sweet said in an interview with Norges Bank Investment Management CEO Nicolai Tangen on his "In Good Company" podcast, which aired Wednesday.
"We say, 'What have you learned in the last six months?'" she added.
Asking this question, Sweet told Tangen, is a practical way for her to determine if candidates are interested in learning new things.
"If someone can't answer that question, and by the way, we don't care if it's 'I learned to bake a cake,' if they can't answer that question, then we know that they're not a learner," Sweet said.
This wouldn't be the first time Sweet has talked about her expectations for new hires at Accenture. The consulting firm said on its website that it employs around 799,000 employees and operates in more than 200 cities.
The former lawyer said in a 2019 interview with The New York Times that she looks for candidates who demonstrate two main traits.
"The first is curiosity. The new normal is continuous learning, and we look for people who demonstrate lots of different interests and really demonstrate curiosity," Sweet told The Times.
"The second piece is leadership. I don't care what level you are, there is the need to offer straight talk when you're working with clients. You have to have the courage to deliver tough messages," she added.
Representatives for Sweet at Accenture did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Sweet isn't the only C-suite executive who places a premium on learning.
Dimon was speaking at the Georgetown Psaros Center for Financial Markets and Policy's annual Financial Markets Quality Conference in September when he was asked if he had any advice for the students in attendance.
"My advice to students: Learn, learn, learn, learn, learn, learn, learn. If you're Democrat, read the Republican opinion, the good ones. If you're Republican, read the Democrat ones," Dimon said.
"Read history books. You can't make it up. Nelson Mandela, Abe Lincoln, Sam Walton. You only learn by reading and talking to other people. There's no other way," he continued.
The 49ers said Wednesday they plan to release defensive tackle Javon Hargrave with a post-June 1 designation, but that wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. is not going anywhere.
Defending champion Jannik Sinner and 10-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic have landed in opposite sides of the draw for the season's first major, with Carlos Alcaraz in the same quarter as Djokovic.
Travis Kelce and Kayla Nicole went through several relationship ups and downs before splitting for good in 2022.
The exes dated on and off for five years after Nicole kicked things off by sending him an Instagram DM in 2017. “He had been following me and insta-flirting for a few months,” she previously revealed via her Instagram Story in June 2022.
Despite Kelce “liking” several of her posts, he never sent her a DM, prompting Nicole to make the first move. “Soooo after a little liquid courage and a pep talk from @iqueenb (something along the lines of ‘WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR’) I dm’d him on New Years,” she added.
The two began dating five months after the Kansas City Chiefs player and his Catching Kelce dating show winner, Maya Benberry, called it quits.
Scroll down to look back at Kelce and Nicole’s relationship ups and downs:
2017
The former couple went public with their relationship five months after Kelce’s split from Benberry.
May 2017
Kelce and Nicole attended the wedding of his then-teammate Jeremy Maclin. At the time, Kelce called the fitness guru the “peanut butter to my JELLYTIME” in a since-deleted Instagram post.
July 2018
The pair hit back-to-back awards show red carpets in 2018. Kelce and Nicole ditched the blue tux and silver dress they wore to the 2018 ESPYs for fun, complementary striped outfits at the Kids’ Choice Sports Awards one night later.
Nicole donned a hot pink mini dress while attending The Maxim Big Game Experience at The Fairmont with Kelce, who sported a light blue button-up over a graphic tee.
June 2019
The duo showed off their couple style at the Thom Browne Menswear Spring Summer 2020 show at Paris Fashion Week. Nicole paired a white bodice top with mint green plaid pants. Kelce, for his part, accessorized his white button-down and gray plaid pants with a large gold watch, sunglasses and brown loafers.
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
February 2020
Kelce and Nicole took a break from football to sit courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers game.
August 2020
The exes broke up after three years of dating amid rumors of infidelity. “This is fake news … a lie … and not why Kayla and I broke up … take all your hatred somewhere else please,” he wrote in a since-deleted tweet, according to a screenshot captured by TMZ. Both proceeded to wipe each other from their respective social media accounts.
Kelce confirmed he and Nicole were back together during a live video with WNBA star Chiney Ogwumike. “So obviously we’ve got the fam. Mom, dad, brother Jason — big grizzly guy. Then my girlfriend Kayla,” he said in a joint TMZ interview with the Los Angeles Sparks player. “Kayla is definitely on the list. Always got to do it big for Kayla.”
February 2022
The pair attended the 11th Annual NFL Honors together and stepped out for a hockey double date with Patrick and Brittany Mahomes.
Pierre Suu/Getty Images
May 2022
Kelce and Nicole split for good less than two years after their reconciliation. Barstool Sports reported at the time the relationship ended because Kelce forced Nicole to pay for half of everything they did together. Nicole denied the outlet’s claims, calling them garbage and incorrect via X (formerly Twitter). In a since-deleted TikTok video, Nicole said she felt stupid for thinking their longtime romance would end in marriage.
That September, Nicole poked fun at the media attention she received because of the breakup in a hilarious TikTok post. “When I do literally anything at all on this here internet,” she captioned a video of herself using a video filter to look like she was being chased by police.
Kelce addressed the “crazy” rumors that he and Nicole broke up because he was “too cheap” during an interview on “The Pivot Podcast.” He explained: “Don’t buy into that s—t. I would never say that I was supporting [her]. She had a very financially stable life and what she was doing in her career.”
Kelce noted that they each lent each other money once in a while to pay for things such as food. “I mean, we were in a relationship for five years,” he added. “A hundred dollars here and a hundred dollars there wasn’t even thought about.”
“Dear Black girl, they may call you a traitor for falling in love. You’ll hope the ones closest will protect you, but you will quickly find out that people don’t protect what they don’t value,” she said into the camera. “They’ll say you’re too much, too provocative, too boisterous, too outspoken. And in the same breath tell you you’re not enough. Not successful enough, not wholesome enough, maybe not even intelligent enough. They’ll say you deserve the backlash and embarrassment. Because of your blackness, you should have known better. They’ll even try to tie your value to your net worth.”
Nicole continued: “You don’t have to participate in this tumultuous, often one-sided journey. Preserve your heart even when they try to quantify your character and best your boundaries you do not have to engage. You do not have to respond. because there is power in your silence. and you can use that same power to silence the noise and the self-doubt.”
Nicole revealed to People that her mental and physical health suffered after going through a “major breakup and major life change” in 2022, the same year as her and Kelce’s split. Following the breakup, she decided to begin therapy to help improve her mental and physical wellbeing.
“Had I not [gone to therapy], I don’t know how I would be reacting in the moment right now,” she added, seemingly referring to Kelce and Swift’s romance. Nicole noted she wished she could tell her past self to “buckle the f—k up” for 2023, stating, “You thought the worst had already come, but buckle up and take all of the tools right now and put them in your bag because you’re going to need them.”
November 2024
Nicole joined the cast of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test season 3 and briefly mentioned Kelce in a teaser.
“Going through a public breakup, it’s been overwhelming,” she admitted.
The clip then cut to Nicole talking with her costars, who asked the name of her ex. “Travis Kelce,” she whispered.
Special Forces season 3 premiered on January 8, 2025.
Meghan Markle has faced plenty of challenges since marrying into the British royal family — but she hasn’t let them dim her light.
The former Suits star fell into a whirlwind romance with Prince Harry in 2016, and by November 2017, the pair were engaged. During a candid interview with the BBC shortly after their engagement made headlines, Meghan and her then-fiancé opened up about the extreme negativity they’d been subject to while living in the public eye.
“Of course, it’s disheartening,” Meghan said at the time. “You know, it’s a shame that that is the climate in this world … but I think at the end of the day, I’m really just proud of who I am and where I come from, and we have never put any focus on that. We’ve just focused on who we are as a couple. And so, when you take all those extra layers away and all of that noise, I think it makes it really easy to just enjoy being together and tune all the rest of that out.”
Eventually, the stresses of royal life became too much. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down from their senior roles within the palace in January 2020, and three months later, settled down in Los Angeles with their son. In July 2020, the family of three relocated to the quieter Montecito neighborhood of Santa Barbara, California. Meghan and Harry continued to put down roots in California as they expanded their family with daughter Lilibet whom they welcomed in June 2021.
Scroll down to relive some of Meghan’s most honest quotes about the struggles of royal life, motherhood and more.
During their first interview as an engaged couple, Meghan and Harry sat down with the BBC to discuss their past struggles and their hopes for the future. "I think I can very safely say, as naive as it sounds now, having gone through this learning curve in the past year and a half, I did not have any understanding of just what it would be like," Meghan said of "tabloid culture" and her transition into the royal family. "I don't think either of us did. ... I think we were just hit so hard at the beginning with a lot of mistruths that I made the choice to not read anything, positive or negative. It just didn't make sense and instead we focused all of our energies just on nurturing our relationship."
At the September 2019 "Ladies Who Launch" event in Cape Town, South Africa, the activist noted that continuing her career after giving birth was a monumental task. "Being a working mom and traveling as well with a baby, my goodness, it's a lot," she said at the time, four months after welcoming son Archie. "But it's all so exciting. There are days when it's a lot to juggle but then you meet someone and you have an impact on them and you say 'ah-ha,' and it's so rewarding."
In ITV's Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, which debuted in October 2019, Meghan opened up about the struggle of being a new mom in the public eye. "Any woman, especially when they're pregnant, you're really vulnerable, and so that was made really challenging. And then when you have a newborn, you know. And especially as a woman, it's a lot ... on top of just trying to be a new mom or trying to be a newlywed," she said.
The October 2019 documentary gave royal fans new insight into Meghan and Harry's lives — both the good parts and the bad. As she spoke about the intense scrutiny she'd faced since joining the royal family, reporter Tom Bradby wondered how she was holding up. "Thank you for asking because not many people have asked if I'm OK," Meghan replied. "It's a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes."
Following her return to the U.S. in the wake of her royal exit, Meghan spoke openly about the importance of voting and fighting for positive change. "It's something that I look forward to being a part of," she said of participating in American politics in August 2020, reflecting on the restrictions of royal life. "And being a part of using my voice in a way that I haven't been able to of late. So, yeah, it's good to be home."
Living her life in the spotlight opens the floodgates to criticism — but Meghan always reminds herself to power through by thinking of this Georgia O'Keefe quote. "'I have already settled it for myself, so flattery and criticism go down the same drain, and I am quite free,'" the Northwestern grad shared during Fortune's Most Powerful Women conference in September 2020. Reflecting on her rocky experience with British tabloids, Meghan added, "If you look back at anything I've said, what ends up being inflammatory is people's interpretation of it. ... There will always be naysayers [but] it's easy to live with truth and authenticity, and that's how I choose to move through the world."
"[Motherhood] makes you more courageous," Meghan said during a candid interview with Fortune for its Most Powerful Next Gen Summit in October 2020. "It makes you so concerned for the world they are going to inherit, right? And so, the things that you're able to tolerate on your own are not the same that you are going to put your child in a position of vulnerability for. [I] go every single day, 'How can I make this better for him? How can I make this world better for Archie?' And that is a shared belief between my husband and I."
The former actress also noted that she feels a responsibility to be a role model, not only for her son, but for millions around the world. "As a parent, I can enjoy all the fun and silliness and games with my son, but I wouldn't be able to feel proud of myself as a mom if I [knew] that I wasn't doing my part to make it a better place for him," she said.
In honor of World Mental Health Day in October 2020, Meghan and Harry appeared on the "Teenager Therapy" podcast to discuss the sometimes-cruel world of social media. "I can speak personally too," the California native said of her "almost unsurvivable" experiences with cyberbullying. "I'm told that in 2019 I was the most trolled person in the entire world, male or female. ... Even though our experience is unique to us and obviously can seem very different to what people can experience on the day-to-day, it's still a human experience ― and that's universal. We all know what it feels like to have our feelings hurt, we all know what it feels like to be isolated or othered."
During a candid conversation with Alexis Ohanian in October 2020, Meghan got real about the challenges of being in an interracial relationship and raising a biracial child in the public eye. Ohanian, who shares daughter Olympia with wife Serena Williams, acknowledged that he feels a "responsibility" to help create a safer world for his child — and Meghan quickly agreed. "I know we have shared experiences in being in interracial marriages and raising small children who are of mixed race and how that plays into that," the duchess said of encouraging diversity in both online and offline spaces.
In November 2020, the philanthropist revealed in a heartbreaking New York Times op-ed that she had suffered a miscarriage four months prior. As she described how she and Harry were beginning to work through their loss, she wrote, "I realized that the only way to begin to heal is to first ask, 'Are you OK?'" In coming forward with her story, Meghan hoped that she could offer solidarity to others who have felt afraid to speak about their "unbearable" pain.
"We have learned that when people ask how any of us are doing, and when they really listen to the answer, with an open heart and mind, the load of grief often becomes lighter — for all of us," she wrote. "In being invited to share our pain, together we take the first steps toward healing."
During an August 2022 interview with New York magazine's The Cut, Meghan broke down the reasons why she was so bothered by the rules of the Royal Rota, which covers the royal family for the U.K. press. "There’s literally a structure by which if you want to release photos of your child, as a member of the family, you first have to give them to the Royal Rota,” she explained. "Why would I give the very people that are calling my children the N-word a photo of my child before I can share it with the people that love my child? You tell me how that makes sense and then I’ll play that game.”
She also clapped back at critics who accused her of having impossible standards for privacy while part of the most famous family in the world. “Sorry, I have a problem with that," she said, noting that it's normal to want to pick up your child from school without it turning into a press event. "That doesn’t make me obsessed with privacy. That makes me a strong and good parent protecting my child.”
Gigi Hadid and ex-boyfriend Zayn Malik have been loving life with their daughter, Khai, ever since her arrival.
Us Weekly confirmed in April 2020 that the model was pregnant with her and Malik’s first baby. Hadid gave birth in September 2020.
“Our baby girl is here, healthy and beautiful,” the singer tweeted alongside a photo of the infant’s hand. “To try [to] put into words how I am feeling right now would be an impossible task. The love I feel for this tiny human is beyond my understanding. Grateful to know her, proud to call her mine and thankful for the life we will have together.”
“I work when my daughter is with her dad, and that’s the time I have,” she told NET-A-PORTER in September 2023 of balancing her career and motherhood. “I will literally fit in as many jobs as I can on those days. I’m sometimes a crazy person, but if it means a lot to me, then I do it.”
Hadid showed a glimpse of a trip to Disney World in an October 2024 Instagram post. Khai wore a hair scrunchie with pink Mickey ears and wrapped an arm around her mom's shoulders as they looked out at the iconic Florida theme park. Other snaps included a look at their Halloween and at Khai’s recent art projects. "October was good to us 🧡 Big fans! 🎃," she captioned the post.
Hadid shared a sweet snap of herself and Khai looking out a window in January 2024. Khai wore her long hair in two pigtails and donned a red puffy coat, a plaid skirt and red and white-striped leggings.
“Pretty recent .. 🫶,” Hadid captioned the Instagram post.
“Have been celebrating our THREE YR OLD this week 🌞🌈⚡️🌻 & just so honored to get to be her mama, to get to see life through her !!!!” Hadid wrote via Instagram in September 2023, sharing pics from her daughter’s Frozen-themed birthday party. “Happy Birthday to my sweetest, smartest, spunkiest bestie !!!!!!!! 💓 DREAM KID / love of my life.”
Gigi wished sister Bella Hadid a happy 25th birthday in October 2021, writing via Instagram: "She’s my baby sister but also a firecracker of a spiritual bodyguard and a forever protector as an auntie. I have so much pride watching you take ownership of your growth and fulfillment, and I know everything that you have created for yourself will bring you the year of joy and light you deserve !!!!!! Can’t wait. 25! I love you more every sun-lap."
"The rumors are true: my best friend, purpose, muse, greatest pride and joy!” Gigi captioned a May 2021 Instagram slideshow for her first Mother’s Day. “I feel so lucky and inspired being your mama, my Khai !! An old soul full of sunshine, you light up everyone’s day."
The model shared two photos of her little girl celebrating her first festive season in December 2020. The "Pillowtalk" singer was pictured holding his daughter, who wore a Gucci onesie and knitted Christmas Jordans.
“It was difficult at times. I think she probably was open about that with you guys, too,” Graziadei, 29, said on the Wednesday, January 8, episode of “The Squeeze,” referring to Anderson’s previous appearance on the podcast. “It was never a walk in the park and it’s literally just because of timing. I would have loved — especially in this important beginning time in our relationship — I would have loved to have been able to put so much more time into it than I physically could have.”
Graziadei equated his time on DWTS, which he called “the coolest experience I’ve ever had,” to his past role as a tennis instructor.
“The way I always described it for her and tried to explain it for myself too is it felt like when I was teaching tennis as much as I possibly could. When you’re on court for 40 hours a week and you’re on the entire time.” he said. “Like, you’re talking to people, you’re giving every single version of yourself. When you go home, the last thing you want to do is be ‘on’ again.”
He continued, “It’s not like I had to be ‘on’ in our relationship. But I have to be giving her attention, I have to be making sure that I’m there fully.”
Graziadei explained that he would take 5-10 minutes when he got home to “forget what was in my head with dancing” and then he would “want to hear all about [Kelsey’s] day.”
“But if I came in the door and I wasn’t fully excited, I need to explain why. Like, I was still doing a two-step in my head. Like, I didn’t even know where I was at the time,” he said. “But that was the hardest part initially. You know, everyone’s outside opinion at the beginning, there’s a lot of stuff you can’t control.”
While Graziadei and his partner, Jenna Johnson, competed for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy in fall 2024, Anderson, 26, addressed fan comments calling her “so strong” for watching the twosome dance. “We are all good in the hood,” Anderson said at the time, adding that Graziadei gives her the “security” and “reassurance” she needs in their relationship.
Disney/Eric McCandless
Graziadei gushed on “The Squeeze” that Anderson was “so amazing and so understanding.” Ultimately, Graziadei said his stint on DWTS — which he won with Johnson, 30 — made his relationship with Anderson even better.
“It made our relationship stronger at the end of the day, which is one of the things I’m most grateful for from the experience,” he said.
Now, as Graziadei and Anderson look toward the future, the former Bachelor gushed that he’s excited to start planning their upcoming nuptials. (Graziadei popped the question to Anderson during The Bachelor season 28 finale, which aired in March 2024.)
“We want to start figuring out some things, planning for the wedding, getting all that kind of cleaned up and getting excited about what’s going to be there for us,” he said. “But I’m excited about the dumbest little things, too. Like, we’re finally cooking in our own kitchen together. We’re finally being able to set up a couch in the TV to have our own movie nights and we can have, you know, parties with people coming over and host people. Like, we have not been able to do that yet.”
“So those are some of the mini things I’m excited for,” he continued, “and my goal is just to be open and available to put as much time as I can into that.”
Kylie Kelce has offered insight into her pregnancy with her and husband Jason Kelce’s fourth baby.
The couple, who have been married since 2018, announced in November 2024 that they are expecting their fourth daughter. (They previously welcomed Wyatt, Ellie and Bennett in 2019, 2021 and 2023, respectively.)
“I got it pretty easy, I’m not gonna lie,” Jason told E! News that same month. “There’s another girl, so the clothes are all going to be hand-me-downs or already bought. The crib is already situated. So, we’re pretty set. Kylie is definitely preparing more than I am because she’s actually growing a human being.”
By January 2025, Kylie’s baby bump had officially “popped.”
“This week, baby girl has definitely popped, so there’s no more hiding her,” Kylie said on her “Not Gonna Lie” podcast. “Stretchy pants are in full force — as is commentary from friends, family and, of course, perfect strangers.”
Keep scrolling to read all of Kylie’s most relatable quotes about her pregnancy with baby No. 4:
Strong Kelce Genes
Any time that Kylie or Jason posts a pic of one of their eldest three daughters, commenters are in awe of how much the girls look like Jason or his brother, Travis Kelce.
Jason and Kylie KelceCourtesy of Kylie Kelce/Instagram
“We are so lucky that my husband makes cute girls. When you look at Wyatt’s baby pictures and Jason’s baby pictures side-by-side, it looks like we have cloned him,” Kylie said on a December 2024 episode of her podcast. “I complained a lot when Wyatt arrived. It looked like I had nothing to do with it. If I had not pushed her out myself, I would not believe that I had any part in making her.”
With baby No. 4, Kylie knows that the “jury’s still out” when it comes to who the new little one will look like.
“Trust me, I am trying desperately to make a child that has any, any resemblance to me,” Kylie quipped.
Choosing a Name
Kylie answered a fan question on another podcast episode about whether she and Jason had already chosen a name.
“Even if I did have a name picked out, I’d probably keep that one in the family,” she said in December 2024. “What I will say: We don’t have a name picked out, so you’re not missing out on anything.”
“Jason was always like, ‘I’ll do whatever you wanna do,’ and I was always in the camp of I wanted four with room for one pleasant surprise,” she told episode guest Charissa Thompson. “We got to three and I was like, ‘Three’s cool. This feels good.’ Then we got out of the rough baby sleeping and all that, and I was like, ‘You know what, I like even numbers, let’s do it.’”
She added, “I think it might get shut down after this one. We’re gonna have this next kid and I’m gonna be like, ‘Don’t even look at me. Eyes at the floor. Don’t look at me.’”
“For the people, my friends, who are hearing this, I don’t need a wellness check, although I have told you before that is what it would take if I ever said I was getting a minivan,” she joked. “Here’s the problem. I’m about to have four car seats, four, in one car. We’re gonna do a little three-year commitment, guys. We’re gonna do three years. We’re gonna grind it out, and then we’re gonna pretend it never happened. ‘Kay? And for those of you who are minivan lovers, like my husband, and think that I’m gonna get a minivan and then I’m gonna stick with the minivan — well, we’ll just have to wait and see.”
She’s ‘Popped’
During a January 8, 2025, podcast episode teaser, Kylie laid out helpful tips when addressing women who are expecting and after proclaiming that her own belly had “popped.”
“First, and this is a big one, don’t comment on her size,” she said. “This includes comments like, ‘You’re huge,’ ‘How much weight have you gained?’ ‘Are you sure it’s not twins?’ I still can’t believe that people think that women who are building a human being want to hear anything about their size. News flash: They don’t. Cut that s— out.”
We can’t be the only ones who caught a glimpse of Angelina Jolie’s smooth, flawless skin at the Golden Globes and wondered what was behind her sorcery. The 49-year-old actress looked like she was wearing a beauty filter, but after some digging, we discovered it’s actually the Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Soft Radiance Foundation. Even better, it’s 30% off at Nordstrom!`
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The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Jennifer Aydin is clarifying her recent social media beef with Jersey Mike’s.
“Hindsight is 20/20, but I did not think it was going to go that way,” Aydin, 47, exclusively told Us Weekly on Wednesday, January 8. “Not at all.”
Earlier this month, Aydin claimed in a social media video that she waited for “what felt like forever” to receive service from an airport Jersey Mike’s. One of the employees then shared her response in a TikTok video, referring to Aydin as a “stupid bitch” and alleging that the reality TV star backed up the entire line of customers.
While speaking with Us, Aydin asserted that she “was not rude” to any of the food chain’s staff.
Jennifer and her husband, Bill Aydin, had been traveling with their five kids for the holidays.
“We’re a big group. I’m a family of seven,” Jennifer recalled. “I have a sister with my goddaughter. She’s a widow [and] her and my goddaughter come with us everywhere we go. So, we travel [with] nine people or a lot of people. We met up with my cousin who’s another family of six. … We’re 15 people, not to mention the other two families that were meeting up with us at the airport.”
Jennifer Aydin and Bill Aydin.Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images
After Jennifer and Bill, 51, corralled their crew through TSA security, they decided to separate in order to quickly get their children food before boarding a four-hour flight.
“He took all the kids, went to another stand that had a table, ordered food. It was about 5:30 in the morning,” she said. “Jersey Mike’s did not open until 5:30 and my cousin and I got on the line pretty much around 5:45 a.m. and there were not that many people on the line. Again, it was a little slow moving, but we weren’t going to complain.”
Jennifer and her cousin, Susie, got in the line at the same time, but Susie eventually stepped out to check out a neighboring kiosk.
“She didn’t come back on the line with me because it already started accumulating. So, she decided to wait for me at the front of the register until it was my turn,” Jennifer told Us. “When it got to be my turn, obviously, I let her go in front of me and I think that people thought I was letting her cut. I didn’t let her cut and she ordered four sandwiches. I only ordered one. I only had one that my kids wanted to split. That was my task. I’m in mom mode trying to just get my kids food.”
After Susie ordered, Jennifer and the woman standing behind her also placed their respective orders. The other woman was allegedly helped before Jennifer, despite the Bravo personality saying she arrived at the line first.
“We’ve already been waiting. We’re at an airport, we have a flight to catch. We’ve already been through TSA, I’m a big group, everything took [time], so, obviously, tensions are high,” she stressed. “Again, I don’t want to complain. I get it. Everybody’s like, ‘It’s New Year’s, whatever.’ They fulfilled the woman behind me’s sandwich [order] first, and I reminded the employee. I’m like, ‘Hey, did you do my Italian?’ And she was like, ‘You have to wait your turn.’ I said, ‘Oh, but you did hers before mine and I was before her.’ So, obviously she realized that [and] ignored me. I didn’t want to make a big thing about it.”
By the time the employees were working on Jennifer’s sandwich, Bill arrived to add to the order.
Jennifer AydinJocelyn Prescod/Bravo
“They’re working on my one sandwich that I ordered. It’s a foot-long Italian and Bill said one of our kids wanted a plain tuna mini with nothing on it,” Jennifer said. “So I said to the employee, ‘OK, sweetie, I’m going to need another mini tuna.’ She goes, ‘Oh no, you have to get to the back of the line.’ And I said, but you just fulfilled that woman’s sandwich before me and I didn’t even say anything and none of this is on camera — by the way. So she looks up and I guess she realized I was right and she goes, ‘Well, then the guy behind you has to say it’s OK.’”
Jennifer hadn’t noticed the man who was now waiting behind her, who apparently said, “I mean, it’s kind of ridiculous … that [she was] adding another sandwich.”
“Tensions are high. I know I’m going to get blamed for something and I’m going to keep my cool,” Jennifer stressed. “The whole point of me recording — I know it backfired — was to show that I was not snapping. I’m just recording the window. At that point, the guy is not even in my thing.”
The man then claimed to be a law professor and allegedly threatened to sue Jennifer for “all [her] fake diamonds” if she posted the video of him.
“I am literally so shocked and disgusted by this man’s behavior,” Jennifer said, noting that she gets “triggered by bad behavior.”
She continued, “I realize that I did not tackle this correctly, but, in the moment, I was just so shocked and appalled by this really unwarranted, aggressive behavior. Then, I put the camera on him.”
She added, “In my angst, I was telling him because I wanted him to know that you just can’t be rude to people like that. You don’t know who you’re being rude to and I’m going to put you on blast. … I was just, like, livid that this person [was] talking to me that way. I want you to know that in the moment, I was not rude to the Jersey Mike’s staff at all. I was trying to be polite.”
Jennifer AydinSteven Ferdman/Getty Images
One of the Jersey Mike’s employees then allegedly threatened not to finish Jennifer’s order that was currently in process.
“In the video, they were still working on my sandwich. It’s not like I had paid. I didn’t check out,” she said. “So for them to tell me to wait to the end of the line or that I had to ask this guy’s permission — that just really started an altercation. They shouldn’t have done that and that’s just customer service. I’m realizing now that I can’t say, ‘I’m a celebrity.’ People are very angry. … I will no longer say I’m a celebrity since people are so angry about it. But, obviously, this wouldn’t have gone so viral as it did if I wasn’t a public figure.”
Jennifer also apologized for her pointed remarks about the staff, noting she “was not a celebrity in that moment” but simply an “angry mom.”
“I wanted to put it on blast to show how rude they were to me. I didn’t go about it the right way. I acknowledge that, but I was not rude to the staff in the moment,” Jennifer reiterated, noting she only proclaimed her celebrity status after another restaurantgoer recognized her and loudly pointed it out. “I feel like we’ve all been there. I’m learning now that I have to realize that I’m a public figure and that everything that I say or do will be scrutinized and I actually have to lead by example.”
She continued, “It was wrong for me to go in my stories and then bash their bad customer service. I’m learning now that I’m not allowed to complain. It’s not entitled. This is not privilege. I’m a paying customer.”
Jennifer also “one hundred percent” regrets posting the video rant in the first place.
“I realized that I should have done it in a different manner and it could have landed a little differently,” she stated. “And I’m learning now not to do things in the heat of the moment, because I was not furious as a celebrity. … I was a paying customer that didn’t get the sandwich for her kid.”
Dolores Catania and Jennifer Aydin on ‘The Real Housewives of New Jersey.’Ralph Bavaro/Bravo
In addition, Jennifer “felt [she] was owed an apology” from Jersey Mike’s and the allegedly “rude and dismissive” man in line behind her, but doesn’t plan to reach out.
“I’m not going to,” she said, “They’re constantly blasting me. … I will apologize for calling [the worker] an 80-year-old woman and doing all that, but that’s where it ends. They’re monetizing this, which I’m very happy for. At last some good will come to them from this.”
Almost two years after officially retiring from the NFL, Tom Brady proved he’s still got it.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion posted some impressive pictures via Instagram on Tuesday, January 7, showing off his beach body during a football game in the sand with his 17-year-old son, Jack.
“The playoffs roll around and you can’t help but see how the ol’ arm feels ,” Brady, 47, captioned the post, which included photos of himself shirtless in a pair of fitted swim trunks.
In 2022, before retiring from the NFL, Brady signed a 10-year broadcasting deal with Fox Sports, reportedly worth $375 million. He’ll be in the booth alongside play-by-play partner Kevin Burkhardt for the Wild Card playoff game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers on Sunday, January 13.
As for the beach photos, Brady’s former New England Patriots teammate Danny Amendola, who knows a thing or two about playing with the former quarterback in the postseason, commented, “Playoff time brodie.”
Brady gave a peek into his exercise and fitness routine last year, joking via Instagram in September, “Color analysts have to stay in shape too!”
“Added some swimming into the workout routine this year,” he explained. “Great muscle resistance and some aerobic cardio all at once.”
As for Jack — who Brady shares with his ex, Bridget Moynahan — the teenager has also enjoyed spending some time with his famous father on the basketball court over the years.
“I’m gonna need a few more sessions to be able to keep up with this kid soon ,” Brady shared via Instagram in September 2023 after some hardwood action together.
“You are truly a blessing in my life and I am so grateful to watch you mature into a young man,” Bray continued, “Your love of family, friends, school, athletics, hard work and dedication to everything you put your energy into are just some of your amazing qualities. I love spending every minute with you and I cherish our time together.”
Brady — who also shares son Ben, 15, and daughter Vivian, 12, with his ex-wife, Gisele Bündchen — recently admitted it “sucks” to be his son.
“There’s a lot of challenges I faced as a kid,” Brady said during an appearance at the Fortune Global Forum in New York City in November 2024. “My kids naturally are gonna be faced with their own challenges, and they gotta figure out how to overcome them. I’ll be there to support them and I’ll be learning along the way with them.”
After spending much of 2024 recovering from a down period, esports industry executives are stepping on the gas in anticipation of a growth year in 2025.
In 2023, advertisers and investors alike jumped ship from competitive gaming, leading to the so-called esports winter, a period in which esports organizations consolidated or pivoted to new business models in order to stay afloat. Over the past 12 months, however, the industry has recovered, in part thanks to brands coming back into the space, as well as the updated revenue share programs created by the publishers of popular esports games.
Emboldened by the success of new major esports events such as the Esports World Cup — and by an influx of investment by the Saudi Arabian government — esports industry leaders are projecting confidence going into 2025. Here’s a look into the best-case scenario for competitive gaming in the new year.
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The creator economy is gearing up for significantchange over the next year — from the rise of AI and creator-founded businesses to the growth of long-term brand partnerships and embrace of long-form content.
As a whole, the creator economy continues to significantly transform, moving beyond simple influencer marketing to a more complex and integrated ecosystem. All signs point to the maturation of influencer marketing, as brands and creators move toward long-term brand ambassador programs replacing one-off influencer collaborations.
As more business opportunities emerge for creators, the industry is also seeing an increase in entrepreneurial opportunities for them — whether it’s starting their own brands and storefronts to hiring talent agents as they scale. By the start of the year, there may be a potential shakeup in the social media landscape as TikTok nears its ban-or-sale deadline.
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